Endoscopic and laparoscopic minimally invasive procedures have been used for introducing medical devices into a patient and for viewing portions of the patient's anatomy. Typically, to view a desired anatomical site, a clinician inserts an endoscope inside the patient to render images of the anatomical site. In endoscopic surgical procedures, surgery is performed in any hollow organ or tissue of the body through a small incision or through narrow endoscopic tubes (cannulas) inserted through a small entrance wound in the skin. In laparoscopic procedures, surgical operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions (usually about 0.5 cm to about 1.5 cm). Laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures often require the clinician to act on organs, tissues and vessels far removed from the incision, thereby requiring that any instruments used in such procedures be of sufficient size and length to permit remote operation.
Typically, a trocar is used to puncture the body cavity and includes a cannula, which remains in place for use during the laparoscopic procedure. Generally, a trocar includes a stylet or obturator for penetrating the body cavity.
Therefore, a need exists for a cost effective optical obturator that is also easy to manufacture.